I am fascinated by the conservative wordsmiths who capture feelings in soundbites. Who would of thought that the Bush Administration and their conservative media echo chamber would resurrect a Medieval sounding phrase - Blood and Treasure - that seems more of the thinking of the Third Reich than a modern democracy; an unquenchable thirst for power that the sacrifices of other people's lives and wealth cannot buy.
And conservatives express their mock sorrow over the loss of our "warriors" in these misguided wars. Crocodile tears. "Warriors"? When was the last time America had warriors? Didn't they use to be Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Marines? How many New Mexicans have died or been crippled by these wars? The local media never tell the cost at home. Simple bad news like that doesn't sell papers or radio ads.
Blood? Whose blood, whose lives are sacrificed in the pursuit of national wars? Not the leaders who proclaimed the wars, not their children today. Apparently our immortal American corporations don't bleed, either. Our "national" blood? Sounds deep and mythic. Bullshit.
Treasure? What is treasure? Hoards of wealth held by the top 1% which includes the leaders who proclaimed war? And whose "treasure" did they spend and waste? Not their's. Apparently all of ours, though, all of America's, except for the war profiteers, speculators and politicians who paid nothing and escape scrutiny. Now we are told to give up national healthcare insurance and social security to pay the bills. More and deeper bullshit and hypocrisy. If this is what Mitt Romney and his ilk offer us, God save us all.
Why can't the punditocracy and the corporate media talk about the reality of death and debt that the Bush Wars cost us? Are we so blind to the truth? Why are they so blind?
A sad measure of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan is the idea that we, I mean all Americans and especially the poor and middle class, could pay off the Bush War debts with a simple tax of one dollar per gallon of gasoline and diesel to be sunsetted after 15 years. Just 15 years! Has anyone talked about the cost of war in such direct terms? That's all it would take to pay off our 21st Century Chickenhawks' wasted fantasies.
Yeah, the Neo-cons, and the fantasists of the New American Century had a couple of free wars that we'll pay off for the rest of our lives. Gotta love those patriotic Americans! Grover Norquist and his Right-wing pledgers promise to make the American government so weak that it could be drowned in a bathtub. In reality, they must be and old-fashioned Fifth Column for China today, destroying America from the inside with their lies and waste.
Will we pay that tax? No. Will the American Rich pay for their triumphs? Not yet. But having squandered our blood and treasure on useless wars instead of building a great country, they will. At this rate, America will become a large, third-world country, fit for dictators and oligarchs to roost on. Won't they be proud citizens of the world!
To paraphrase Malcolm Gladwell, the American Rich would get so much more value by paying higher taxes and living in a better country than they will ever enjoy as latter-day princes in a global wasteland. In the meantime, we have to choose how to pay for our wars and create a better life for our children. The current crop of Republican leaders will do neither.
08 November 2011
04 November 2011
The People's Voice is Scary?
Why did the Greek Prime Minister's proposal to put the EU bailout and austerity plan to a referendum - a vote by the people - cause the stock markets across the globe to drop?
Did the stock brokers believe that the citizens of Greece might vote against austerity and the World Bank solution and cause the Eurozone to collapse financially?
Perhaps the World Bank solution to public debt is wrong. Contract the economy to fix everything? Why is national stimulus and growth so scary an alternative?
Even Governor Martinez believes in public spending to create jobs - through capital outlay, rebuilding and expanding infrastructure.
Why would it work in New Mexico, but it won't work in Greece?
Did the stock brokers believe that the citizens of Greece might vote against austerity and the World Bank solution and cause the Eurozone to collapse financially?
Perhaps the World Bank solution to public debt is wrong. Contract the economy to fix everything? Why is national stimulus and growth so scary an alternative?
Even Governor Martinez believes in public spending to create jobs - through capital outlay, rebuilding and expanding infrastructure.
Why would it work in New Mexico, but it won't work in Greece?
Republicans + Federal Stimulus Funding = Failure, you betcha
The US House and Senate Republicans have wasted a year blithering about our federal debt. Today we need jobs! Honest jobs.
Former Representative Heather Wilson, now candidate for US Senate, is quoted saying that the expense of the federal stimulus programs started by the Bush Administration has been "jaw dropping." Whatever. The feds have poured trillions into shoring up banks and helping states maintain jobs. New Mexico used some of the ARRA recovery money two years ago to help pay public school teachers. It worked! Well, except for the banks part.
Our Albuquerque Public Schools are looking at a deficit that they cannot cover from their own revenues. Costs will have to be cut to match available revenues. Teachers that leave or retire will not be replaced this year. Classes will get larger, again. Some electives will not be offered.
In states that have Republican governors, the outcomes have been more severe and threatening to any economic recovery. They have already laid off hundreds of thousands of public employees, and especially teachers. Given weak revenue forecasts for the next year, there will be more layoffs before the 2012 election.
The loss of that many middle-class public sector jobs has more than outweighed the benefits of the federal spending. So the Republican governors prove themselves right again! Our government does not make jobs, it destroys them!
Now, let me get this no-nothing conservative philosophy right: America will create jobs when we cut spending. There is no logic to that position. The states that have had to cut public employees have not seen a private sector rebound to make up for those losses. Those states are lead by Republican governors.
Even after those states cut taxes on the ultra-rich, they and the corporations have not "created" new jobs. "Job creators?" NOT!
Oh, they argue that it will take time for "the Market" to accept the new reality of lower taxes on the Rich and more unemployed teachers to respond. In the meantime, a lot of teachers and others don't have work, don't have benefits, and are struggling.
The Republican-led block on funding the FAA is another example proving that cutting spending cuts jobs. During the shutdown of the FAA for lack of new funding, critical functions of the agency were preserved, but non-critical jobs like planning, design and construction of airports and other facilities were shut down. Tens of thousands of construction workers were "furloughed" without pay. The FAA quit paying its bills. A lot of private companies were hurt, and many more were frightened by the prospect that their next job for the FAA was dead. That righteous fiasco pulled hundreds of millions of dollars out of the domestic US economy at a critical time in this Great Republican Recession. One consequence of ignorant Republican economics is to drive America into another ditch.
The truly sad background to all this ranting and stalling is the Republican's determination that President Obama will look bad - see, he didn't create any jobs! And look at all the money the Obama Administration "wasted" on so-called stimulus projects. The Republicans wouldn't allow the federal government - the spender of last resort - to spend enough to create or preserve jobs.
In the meantime, US corporations are reporting astonishing profits during a recession, and eye-popping amounts of cash reserves! With corporate profits up, shareholders (the Rich) are doing quite well, thank you very much. Speculators are thriving on commodities like oil, copper, food and more. And the Repubicans (or as one critic calls them, the Republicons) have not offered a single bill that would create a single job today or encourage private sector spending on new projects. Maybe in 2014 or so, after the next Republican is elected president.
The solution? Print and spend money as fast as Washington can! Every day the Republicans delay any solution that would create jobs, is another day that Americans suffer without work. Every day they delay committing to a "Marshall Plan" for the US, to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, our roads and bridges, our water and sewer systems, our ports and more crumble further, creating greater drains on our economy.
Federal spending directly and indirectly creates jobs that private industry is unwilling to do. Putting people to work at decent wages supports demand for goods and services, helping to lift the economy. The federal government has become the buyer of last resort, our last hope to kick-start the US economy back to life!
Former Representative Heather Wilson, now candidate for US Senate, is quoted saying that the expense of the federal stimulus programs started by the Bush Administration has been "jaw dropping." Whatever. The feds have poured trillions into shoring up banks and helping states maintain jobs. New Mexico used some of the ARRA recovery money two years ago to help pay public school teachers. It worked! Well, except for the banks part.
Our Albuquerque Public Schools are looking at a deficit that they cannot cover from their own revenues. Costs will have to be cut to match available revenues. Teachers that leave or retire will not be replaced this year. Classes will get larger, again. Some electives will not be offered.
In states that have Republican governors, the outcomes have been more severe and threatening to any economic recovery. They have already laid off hundreds of thousands of public employees, and especially teachers. Given weak revenue forecasts for the next year, there will be more layoffs before the 2012 election.
The loss of that many middle-class public sector jobs has more than outweighed the benefits of the federal spending. So the Republican governors prove themselves right again! Our government does not make jobs, it destroys them!
Now, let me get this no-nothing conservative philosophy right: America will create jobs when we cut spending. There is no logic to that position. The states that have had to cut public employees have not seen a private sector rebound to make up for those losses. Those states are lead by Republican governors.
Even after those states cut taxes on the ultra-rich, they and the corporations have not "created" new jobs. "Job creators?" NOT!
Oh, they argue that it will take time for "the Market" to accept the new reality of lower taxes on the Rich and more unemployed teachers to respond. In the meantime, a lot of teachers and others don't have work, don't have benefits, and are struggling.
The Republican-led block on funding the FAA is another example proving that cutting spending cuts jobs. During the shutdown of the FAA for lack of new funding, critical functions of the agency were preserved, but non-critical jobs like planning, design and construction of airports and other facilities were shut down. Tens of thousands of construction workers were "furloughed" without pay. The FAA quit paying its bills. A lot of private companies were hurt, and many more were frightened by the prospect that their next job for the FAA was dead. That righteous fiasco pulled hundreds of millions of dollars out of the domestic US economy at a critical time in this Great Republican Recession. One consequence of ignorant Republican economics is to drive America into another ditch.
The truly sad background to all this ranting and stalling is the Republican's determination that President Obama will look bad - see, he didn't create any jobs! And look at all the money the Obama Administration "wasted" on so-called stimulus projects. The Republicans wouldn't allow the federal government - the spender of last resort - to spend enough to create or preserve jobs.
In the meantime, US corporations are reporting astonishing profits during a recession, and eye-popping amounts of cash reserves! With corporate profits up, shareholders (the Rich) are doing quite well, thank you very much. Speculators are thriving on commodities like oil, copper, food and more. And the Repubicans (or as one critic calls them, the Republicons) have not offered a single bill that would create a single job today or encourage private sector spending on new projects. Maybe in 2014 or so, after the next Republican is elected president.
The solution? Print and spend money as fast as Washington can! Every day the Republicans delay any solution that would create jobs, is another day that Americans suffer without work. Every day they delay committing to a "Marshall Plan" for the US, to rebuild our crumbling infrastructure, our roads and bridges, our water and sewer systems, our ports and more crumble further, creating greater drains on our economy.
Federal spending directly and indirectly creates jobs that private industry is unwilling to do. Putting people to work at decent wages supports demand for goods and services, helping to lift the economy. The federal government has become the buyer of last resort, our last hope to kick-start the US economy back to life!
I'm Tired (of Cranky Conservatives)
Full credit for the original post to Robert Hall (not Bill Cosby or any other character), a Vietnam War Marine veteran who wrote the original column in February 2009. I think he is misguided and doesn't know political philosophy or history based on the way he wrote his blog. In my version, I believe I am more true to the facts.
I'm Tired
I'm Tired
I’ll be 57 soon. I didn’t inherit my job or my income. As one of the 99%, I worked to get where I am. I don’t make $16,826/hour like the CEO of Wallyworld and probably never will, even with inflation. Given the Great Republican Recession, there’s no retirement in sight, and I’m tired. Very tired.
I’m tired of being told that I have to “spread the wealth around” to people who don’t earn a living but skim the cream. I’m tired of being told the government will take the money I earned, by force if necessary, and give it to people richer than Croesus.
I’m tired of being told that banks can’t afford to lend money for construction or restructure mortgages. Sure, if they were losing money or undercapitalized, I’m willing to accept that. But if they sold paperless mortgages for McMansions at three times the price of our townhouse, for customers with one-third of my salary, then let the rightwing Republicans in Congress and the clown in the White House explain why they repealed the Glass-Steaggal Act that addressed the corruption of the Market of the 1920s.
I’m tired of being told how evil America is by rightwing opinionators, preachers and politicians who live in luxury because of the opportunities America offers to lie, cheat and steal, and punish the weak. In thirty years, if they get their way, the United States will have the religious freedom and women’s rights of Saudi Arabia, the economy of Zimbabwe, the freedom of the press of China, the crime and violence of Mexico, the tolerance for gay people of Iran, and the freedom of speech of Venezuela. Won’t Brazil be beautiful here? Oh, wait! We’re already less tolerant and less equal than our southern neighbors who don’t speak English.
I'm tired of 21st Century Republicans saying that the only way to create jobs is to reduce spending and taxes on the Rich. America boomed in the 1950s when the Rich paid a marginal tax rate of 90%, That was under Eisenhower!
I’m tired of being told that Christianity is a “Religion of Peace,” when every day I can read stories of Christian men raping their wives, sons and daughters because the Bible tells them to “submit.”
I believe “a man should be judged by the content of his character, not by the color of his skin.” I’m tired of being told that “race doesn’t matter” by Republicans in the post-racial and highly ethno-centric world of Senator Mitch McConnell (R, Kentucky), when it’s all that matters in rightwing hate radio, condescending commentary about the President, unspoken White privilege, government contract set-asides, tolerance for the voter suppressing laws that hurt minorities more than anyone, and in the apotheosis of conservative black politicians who don’t know China has the Bomb (since 1963, and nuclear power, even). I think it’s very cool that we have a black president and that a black child is doing her homework at the desk where Lincoln wrote the emancipation proclamation. I just wish the President said more about freedom and the individual under the pressure of the corporatocracy and an all-knowing but blind Market. The Market is not God.
I’m tired of a news media that ignores secret political campaign funding by the Rich, including hate-filled smear media and fear-mongering. I’m glad the media thought that President Bush’s mountain biking while taking more vacation days than any president in living memory was a waste of taxpayers’ dollars, but that President Obama exercising is a great example for the public to control weight and stress, I’m tired of a cowed news media that dropped the story of Bush’s military records, and repeated the lies of the self-proclaimed “Swiftboat Veterans” against Kerry, that glammed Palin for vice president despite her obvious inexperience, and takes the current crop of Republican candidates for president seriously.
Wonder why people are dropping their subscriptions or switching to Fox News? I haven’t a clue. I didn’t vote for Bush in 2000, but it didn’t matter since he won the vote of the Supremes controlled by partisan Republicans Justices.
I’m tired of being told that due to our “addiction to oil” we must let Saudi Arabian Wahabi Muslims use our oil money to fund mosques and madrassa Islamic schools to preach hate towards the West across the world, while no American Jewish or Christian sect is allowed to fund a church, synagogue or religious school in Saudi Arabia to teach our American love and tolerance.
I’m tired of being told I must lower my living standard to balance the federal budget, which no one is allowed to debate. If everyone had the Ecological Footprint I do, we would need six Earths to sustain us.
I’m tired of the destruction that addiction and alcoholism cause. I’m tired of the criminalization of addiction; the faith that addiction is a moral failing. I don’t think gay people choose to be gay, but I'm damn sure druggies chose to take drugs once, searching for something missing in their lives and then became addicted. And I’m tired of the unwillingness of “the richest country on Earth” to help addicts find recovery.
I’m tired of illegal aliens being hired by cheap businessmen and politicians, especially the ones who can afford to pay US wages and live on white collar crime. What’s next? Calling small businessmen that hire and abuse undocumented immigrants “job creators” when they are just hypocrites. And, no, I’m not against Hispanics or the Rich. I think most of them are Christians and it’s been a few hundred years since Christians wanted to kill me for my religion. I’m willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic who can speak English, doesn’t have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military. Those are the citizens we need. I just wish the Rich believed they were citizens of the United States and not "the World."
I’m tired of illegal aliens being hired by cheap businessmen and politicians, especially the ones who can afford to pay US wages and live on white collar crime. What’s next? Calling small businessmen that hire and abuse undocumented immigrants “job creators” when they are just hypocrites. And, no, I’m not against Hispanics or the Rich. I think most of them are Christians and it’s been a few hundred years since Christians wanted to kill me for my religion. I’m willing to fast track for citizenship any Hispanic who can speak English, doesn’t have a criminal record and who is self-supporting without family on welfare, or who serves honorably for three years in our military. Those are the citizens we need. I just wish the Rich believed they were citizens of the United States and not "the World."
I’m tired of chickenhawk conservatives, politicians and newsreaders, who would never wear the uniform of the Republic themselves, or let their entitlement-handicapped kids near a recruiting station, praising our rightwing leaders and their wars. They and their kids can sit at home, never having to make split-second decisions under life and death circumstances, and bad mouth people better than themselves. Do bad things happen in war? You bet. We need better, more honest leaders, military and civilian.
Do our troops sometimes misbehave? Sure, but we prosecute them for war crimes if we catch them. Does this compare with the atrocities that were the policy of our enemies for the last fifty years—and still are? Not even close. So here’s the deal. I’ll let Donald Rumsfeld and Dick Cheney be subjected to all the humiliation and abuse that was heaped on terrorists at Abu Ghraib or Gitmo when we bring Muslims extremists to trial. America is better than that, and we know better. I trust our military leaders. Torture doesn't work, and it inspires torture of our troops and allies.
I’m tired of conservatives telling me their party has a corner on virtue and the other party has a corner on corruption. But listen to anyone but Fox News—bums are Republicans. And I’m tired of people telling me we need bi-partisanship. I live in New Mexico where Republicans would steal the vote without a second thought. I notice that the tax cheats in New York and Washington are just non-partisan opportunists who would sell out our country for a handful of silver.
I’m tired of hearing wealthy radio preachers, commentators, talking heads, and politicians of the virtuous Right talk about innocent mistakes, stupid mistakes or youthful mistakes, when we all know they think their only mistake was getting caught. I’m tired of people with a sense of entitlement, rich or poor.
Speaking of poor, I’m tired of hearing people who live on less than $5 a day for food called moochers and welfare queens. The majority of Americans weren’t poor in 1970, but today we are, but don’t know we’ve become “poor.” We’re still “middle class” just like the banksters and money handlers who receive over $200,000 per year for manipulating paper. The leaders of the class war have to keep changing the definition of rich to keep the dollars flowing up and keep the 99% ignorant.
I’m real tired of people who don’t take responsibility for their lives and actions, and for their hate-filled speech. I’m tired of hearing them blame the government for their problems.
Yes, I’m damn tired. But I’m tired of getting older. Because, mostly, I can’t make the difference my children will in cleaning up our sorry mess. Like borrowing a truck and trashing it. Our oceans are dying and CO2 lingers in the atmosphere for centuries. I’m sorry that we’re leaving a less livable world for my granddaughters and grandsons.
New Mexico Native is not a veteran and never served in the New Mexico state legislature or anywhere near Santa Fe. He blogs at NewMexicoReview.blogspot.com
27 March 2011
Representative Peter King is a Hypocrite
Mr. King knows how to talk out of both sides of his mouth regarding terrorism and terrorists. For many years, Mr. King as a loyal American (of Irish decent) has defended and supported the Irish Republican Party, a known terrorist organization. The IRA has killed thousands of people outside the United States and has had ongoing support from the Palestinian Liberation Organization. Oh, but they never inteded to kill citizens. The bomb they detonated in a pub was actually intended to send shrapnel flying thousands of feet in to air to damage as many Royal Air Force helicopters and airplanes as possilbe. Wait, what?
The past must be past and forgotten. Now Mr. King is using his new-found power to run a US House committee has declared that he will investigate muslims in America, because they must be terrorists. Okay, they are not his terrorists. No wonder respect for Congress continues to drop every year, They can't even hear their own lies and hypocrisy.
His next step likely will be to use his broad supeona power to harass and intimidate his critics, a common and clever Republican ploy these days.
The past must be past and forgotten. Now Mr. King is using his new-found power to run a US House committee has declared that he will investigate muslims in America, because they must be terrorists. Okay, they are not his terrorists. No wonder respect for Congress continues to drop every year, They can't even hear their own lies and hypocrisy.
His next step likely will be to use his broad supeona power to harass and intimidate his critics, a common and clever Republican ploy these days.
Supreme Court Justice Clarence Thomas is a Fool
Clarence Thomas and his wife, Ginny Thomas have created a large confllict of interest for the Justice, and by his refusal to follow common standards of ethics for all other judges in America, Mr. Thomas is damaging the credibility of the institution of the Supreme Court beyond the damage alread done by this Republican Court.
Justice Thomas' wife has earned almost $700,000 from the conservative Heritage Foundation working to among other things, undermine and kill the 2010 Healthcare reform act. She has publicly stated her position against the law and has marketed herself as a powerful person in this fight, because of her experience and contacts.
Mr. Thomas says his wife's beliefs and actions have no effect on his Supreme Court decisions, except he has publicly agree with his wife's position opposing the law. I know I could not get a fair hearing before him if he and wife publicly declared that they opposed my position in a case, even before the case was heard by the Court.
Justice Thomas is a fool to think that his critics and not his own words and actions are damaging the Court and its standing in the public's regard.
A recent example of his better judgement perhaps was when he recused himself from voting in a case involing interests his son had supported.
What's the difference, Mr. Thomas?
In fact his wife is actively supporting and raising money for the self-proclaimed Tea Party and worked to support the Citizens United appellants in their case decided in 2010, declaring that for the purposes of political campaigns, corporations are "people." They just happen to be anonymous people with a lot of money. Another conflict of interest.
I assume that Mr. Thomas would argue that since he was already a conservative Republican before he was appointed to the Supreme Court, and supported many of his wife's work, that there is conflict "of interest." We already know how he's going to vote. Except that his wife made a lot of money working on these issues.
It is time for the House of Representatives to impeach Mr. Thomas for his failure to report his wife's income, and his failure to follow basis ethical considerations in serving the United States. He has become an insult to justice in America.
Justice Thomas' wife has earned almost $700,000 from the conservative Heritage Foundation working to among other things, undermine and kill the 2010 Healthcare reform act. She has publicly stated her position against the law and has marketed herself as a powerful person in this fight, because of her experience and contacts.
Mr. Thomas says his wife's beliefs and actions have no effect on his Supreme Court decisions, except he has publicly agree with his wife's position opposing the law. I know I could not get a fair hearing before him if he and wife publicly declared that they opposed my position in a case, even before the case was heard by the Court.
Justice Thomas is a fool to think that his critics and not his own words and actions are damaging the Court and its standing in the public's regard.
A recent example of his better judgement perhaps was when he recused himself from voting in a case involing interests his son had supported.
What's the difference, Mr. Thomas?
In fact his wife is actively supporting and raising money for the self-proclaimed Tea Party and worked to support the Citizens United appellants in their case decided in 2010, declaring that for the purposes of political campaigns, corporations are "people." They just happen to be anonymous people with a lot of money. Another conflict of interest.
I assume that Mr. Thomas would argue that since he was already a conservative Republican before he was appointed to the Supreme Court, and supported many of his wife's work, that there is conflict "of interest." We already know how he's going to vote. Except that his wife made a lot of money working on these issues.
It is time for the House of Representatives to impeach Mr. Thomas for his failure to report his wife's income, and his failure to follow basis ethical considerations in serving the United States. He has become an insult to justice in America.
25 March 2011
How to Pay for Republican Wars or Not
Back of the napkin calculation: if Congress had the guts to impose a tax of $1/gallon on gasoline and diesel fuels at the pump with a sunset of 2026, we might succeed in paying for our wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.
This kills two economic mistakes with one blow: it makes the cost of war obvious to all citizens, including those who are alleged to not pay any taxes. And it brings one external cost of liquid fuels to The Market. (There are still $3 or $4 more per gallon in public costs that are not paid directly by the consumers, yet. - health, noise, environmenal clean up, global climate change, support for anti-Western oi-rich dictatorships. The list goes on and on.) Talk about subsidies!
The international political benefit would be that the rest of the educated world might take us seriously! IF we're willing to pay for our wars, and not just borrow the money from our competitors, like China, Germany, Japan and India. Somehow they seem to be the more serious countries on this planet.
Ask me the odds of the Republican House voting for this tax? Zip, zippo, zilch. Funny game they're playing. Time to grow up and get serious.
This kills two economic mistakes with one blow: it makes the cost of war obvious to all citizens, including those who are alleged to not pay any taxes. And it brings one external cost of liquid fuels to The Market. (There are still $3 or $4 more per gallon in public costs that are not paid directly by the consumers, yet. - health, noise, environmenal clean up, global climate change, support for anti-Western oi-rich dictatorships. The list goes on and on.) Talk about subsidies!
The international political benefit would be that the rest of the educated world might take us seriously! IF we're willing to pay for our wars, and not just borrow the money from our competitors, like China, Germany, Japan and India. Somehow they seem to be the more serious countries on this planet.
Ask me the odds of the Republican House voting for this tax? Zip, zippo, zilch. Funny game they're playing. Time to grow up and get serious.
Prosecutor-in-Chief
I didn't vote for Ms. Martinez. And I'm glad I didn't. I don't want our govenor to be our "prosecutor-in-chief." I want her to lead us to a hopeful future.
She vows to kill the proposed business tax to shore up the unemployment support fund today. She may think this isn't the right time for a tax on business, but the fund is projected to go broke in March 2012. After that, New Mexico will have to borrow money from Washington to continue to meet its obligations to its working citizens who are suffering from the Republican (aka Republicon or Repuglican) Great Recession.
Oh, well, if you can't believe the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and Albuquerque Economic Development who support the tax today, who can you believe?
She vows to kill the proposed business tax to shore up the unemployment support fund today. She may think this isn't the right time for a tax on business, but the fund is projected to go broke in March 2012. After that, New Mexico will have to borrow money from Washington to continue to meet its obligations to its working citizens who are suffering from the Republican (aka Republicon or Repuglican) Great Recession.
Oh, well, if you can't believe the Albuquerque Chamber of Commerce and Albuquerque Economic Development who support the tax today, who can you believe?
GE Makes Fools of Us All
Believe it or nuts! The largest corporation in America pays no federal taxes. GE is gaming the system so successfully that they're getting a free ride. Thank goodness we can afford to give them the services of the US Army, Navy and Air Force for free, while they sell weapons to our "friends." What's wrong with this picture?
Even Ronald Reagan was frustrated when he learned back in the 1980s that GE paid almost no taxes then. Closed corporate loopholes with 1986 tax law. Raised GE's tax rate to over 32% some years. Then they went to work in the congressional-military-industrial game and by the 90s their taxes were going down, down, down.
GE grew profits overseas, grew jobs overseas. What's wrong with this picture? GE pays no taxes in the U.S., but claims high U.S. taxes are making it uncompetitive globally, and keeps them from creating jobs here at "home." I think they've got it backwards. GE is an irresponsible corporate leech, profiting off of the gullibility of American taxpayers. U.S. tax laws coupled with competing cooperative foreign countries' low-corporate tax laws encourage GE to "move" profits overseas, and move jobs overseas.
Hmm. How can they do that? One old-fashioned example: First, sell U.S.-made GE parts at an in-house discount to overseas branches. Fair enough accounting, I suppose, but the U.S. branch loses money every year! No tax liability! But look at the plant in Ireland: they are able to get cheap parts from the U.S. and sell the finished products at a market price. Voila! Irish plants are very profitable, but Ireland doesn't insist on much in taxes. They don't provide nuclear aircraft carriers to defend the Free World, either.
Somehow, I feel I'm being screwed. It's not class envy on my part. Call it "shared sacrifice." It's time, again, to get GE and its fellow corporate welfare kings, back into the fold or responsible American corporate citizens. We need to put them back to work here.
Even Ronald Reagan was frustrated when he learned back in the 1980s that GE paid almost no taxes then. Closed corporate loopholes with 1986 tax law. Raised GE's tax rate to over 32% some years. Then they went to work in the congressional-military-industrial game and by the 90s their taxes were going down, down, down.
GE grew profits overseas, grew jobs overseas. What's wrong with this picture? GE pays no taxes in the U.S., but claims high U.S. taxes are making it uncompetitive globally, and keeps them from creating jobs here at "home." I think they've got it backwards. GE is an irresponsible corporate leech, profiting off of the gullibility of American taxpayers. U.S. tax laws coupled with competing cooperative foreign countries' low-corporate tax laws encourage GE to "move" profits overseas, and move jobs overseas.
Hmm. How can they do that? One old-fashioned example: First, sell U.S.-made GE parts at an in-house discount to overseas branches. Fair enough accounting, I suppose, but the U.S. branch loses money every year! No tax liability! But look at the plant in Ireland: they are able to get cheap parts from the U.S. and sell the finished products at a market price. Voila! Irish plants are very profitable, but Ireland doesn't insist on much in taxes. They don't provide nuclear aircraft carriers to defend the Free World, either.
Somehow, I feel I'm being screwed. It's not class envy on my part. Call it "shared sacrifice." It's time, again, to get GE and its fellow corporate welfare kings, back into the fold or responsible American corporate citizens. We need to put them back to work here.
21 February 2011
$3.10 gasoline makes Good News, Bad News
The good news is that public transit and other "alternative" transporation modes are more competitive with 1-ton, single-person conveyances. Bicycles even make sense for over 50% of household trips, even with children.
Join me as we look ahead (no one else is besides the Chinese and the US Army) to the time later this year or next when gasoline costs $5/gallon.
The good news is that many technologies are competitive with gasoline at that price. The bad news is that gasoline costs that much but wages have not risen as fast. In other words, we're f------.
I know the highway and trucking folks aren't talking (publicly) about this s---. But WallyWorld is dropping large hints that they are. Anyone watching besides everone else besides the US? The US Army spends over $400/gallon of fuel delivered in Afghanistan. Seems like a growing market for entrepeneurs to jump in.
Our amazing flying rocks called "fighter jets" are running on borrowed time and money.
Join me as we look ahead (no one else is besides the Chinese and the US Army) to the time later this year or next when gasoline costs $5/gallon.
The good news is that many technologies are competitive with gasoline at that price. The bad news is that gasoline costs that much but wages have not risen as fast. In other words, we're f------.
I know the highway and trucking folks aren't talking (publicly) about this s---. But WallyWorld is dropping large hints that they are. Anyone watching besides everone else besides the US? The US Army spends over $400/gallon of fuel delivered in Afghanistan. Seems like a growing market for entrepeneurs to jump in.
Our amazing flying rocks called "fighter jets" are running on borrowed time and money.
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